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Didn't like SMS recruiting? Think again! follow this blog post

posted by on July 17, 2006
I ruffled some feathers with my post about a method for contacting candidates directly via SMS (kind of like email to their mobile phones) which got a bunch of comments. I even drew some negative attention from the big cheesiness. Glenn also picked up the concept and enhanced it quite a bit.
 
But that's all I heard about it, until now...
 
From the Fort Wayne News Sentinel I read:
"Text messaging ? the ability to send email-like notes via cell phones ? has emerged with I-Pod force in the recruiting world in the last few years, in part to offset phone call restrictions. Players and coaches are impacted."
 
This is actually an article about sports recruiting - coaches trying to engage with young players to get them to join their team - but this is every bit relevant to recruiting. After all, don't we go after the "superstars" in our own fields? The article goes on to say:
"The NCAA limits coaches to one phone call a week during contact periods. There are no limits on text messaging and emails with one exception ? no contact of any kind is allowed during the July evaluation period.

?Text messaging has been great because of access to recruits,? Painter said. ?You can have dialogue. You can find out if somebody is interested in your school. It lets you save time and put your energy toward somebody who wants to come to your school.?

 
Props to Jeremy for alerting me to this one. It seems that sports recruiters have been doing the SMS thing for quite some time! Maybe its time we professional recruiters took a page out of their textbook!
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26 comments

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  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Either way, I will be using SMS as part of our marketing activities in the UK. To receive a text does not cost so recipients will have less of an issue. They can choose to receive premium texts but this is a different proposition anyway.

    We have a number of ideas around SMS so regardless of the views on this post, SMS is big in the UK and more likely to get a response than voice!!

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    "The [CAN-SPAM Act], which became effective January 1, 2004, covers email whose primary purpose is advertising or promoting a commercial product or service, including content on a Web site. A "transactional or relationship message" ? email that facilitates an agreed-upon transaction or updates a customer in an existing business relationship ? may not contain false or misleading routing information, but otherwise is exempt from most provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act."

    http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.htm

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    SPAM: To indiscriminately send unsolicited, unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate messages, especially commercial advertising in mass quantities.

    You decide, if the cap fits......

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I have to admit.........I thought the idea is pretty good......but when companies call to sell jobs or products on someones cell phone ....that is going a bit to far.

    Companies waste vast amounts of money advertising on Monster and other general job boards that can be better used to hire top notch corporate staffing talent.

    We all seem overly concerned about spam. I do not see anyone concerned about increasing RUDE CORPORATE BEHAVIOUR EXPECIALLY IN THE HR DEPARTMENTS.

    It amazes me how companies comtinue to treat their employees, customers, shareholders and yes recruiter in like dirt............ and then make a big fuss about spamming...........

    Lets not make mountains out of mole hills......After all it seems companies are doing a good job annoying people already...................Lets welcome new ideas so that Corporate recruiting can become relevant to the corporate equation........otherwise........it is headed to extinction like the dinosaur. Companies will be forced to use outside 3rd party agencies whether they like it or not................ because they simply cannot function as a bare bone department...........with untrained individuals waiting for resumes in response to $100,000 advertising Job Ads posted on Workopolis.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I have to admit.........I thought the idea is pretty good......but when companies call to sell jobs or products on someones cell phone ....that is going a bit to far.

    Companies waste vast amounts of money advertising on Monster and other general job boards that can be better used to hire top notch corporate staffing talent.

    We all seem overly concerned about spam. I do not see anyone concerned about increasing RUDE CORPORATE BEHAVIOUR EXPECIALLY IN THE HR DEPARTMENTS.

    It amazes me how companies comtinue to treat their employees, customers, shareholders and yes recruiter in like dirt............ and then make a big fuss about spamming...........

    Lets not make mountains out of mole hills......After all it seems companies are doing a good job annoying people already...................Lets welcome new ideas so that Corporate recruiting can become relevant to the corporate equation........otherwise........it is headed to extinction like the dinosaur. Companies will be forced to use outside 3rd party agencies whether they like it or not................ because they simply cannot function as a bare bone department...........with untrained individuals waiting for resumes in response to $100,000 advertising Job Ads posted on Workopolis.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I have to admit.........I thought the idea is pretty good......but when companies call to sell jobs or products on someones cell phone ....that is going a bit to far.

    Companies waste vast amounts of money advertising on Monster and other general job boards that can be better used to hire top notch corporate staffing talent.

    We all seem overly concerned about spam. I do not see anyone concerned about increasing RUDE CORPORATE BEHAVIOUR EXPECIALLY IN THE HR DEPARTMENTS.

    It amazes me how companies comtinue to treat their employees, customers, shareholders and yes recruiter in like dirt............ and then make a big fuss about spamming...........

    Lets not make mountains out of mole hills......After all it seems companies are doing a good job annoying people already...................Lets welcome new ideas so that Corporate recruiting can become relevant to the corporate equation........otherwise........it is headed to extinction like the dinosaur. Companies will be forced to use outside 3rd party agencies whether they like it or not................ because they simply cannot function as a bare bone department...........with untrained individuals waiting for resumes in response to $100,000 advertising Job Ads posted on Workopolis.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Karen- I think you are just a realist not a poo poo'er

    :)

    granted I think the second would be much more of a conversation starter on your business cards!!

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Jim follows up on all this with a nice podcast

    http://www.blogcharm.com/jimstroud/39316/

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    OMG RUOK? ROTFLMAO! GMTA! UR XLNT G9 but RU :-? (TIC)? Shallywag indeed :-&

    IMHO F2F > ATK OTOH ATK faster, IYKWIM. T+. EOL.

    BOL, TTFN /ss

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    While I haven't used text messaging for recruiting I regularly use AOL, Yahoo and MSN's instant messengers to recruit. Only if I am having problems tracking down a candidate and I see on a candidates resume an email address from either of those services. It will work about 50% of the time. Most cases I find their son or daughter online and pass the message through them and cross my fingers. I can definitely see using text messaging as a means to accomplish this as well. I don't believe cost is a factor. I only use about 50 per month so I have not bought the unlimited text messaging package from my provider. Text messages cost me 10 cents each.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Brenda that is a fantastic idea! The next time I speak with Neal Bruce I'll ask him if they would consider doing that. I will also ask a few other friends in the "job board industry" about it, thank you!

    I totally get what Cheesman and Karen say about using SMS when contacting people you have relationships with. That makes sense and I believe that is what the article was talking about. I think as a recruiter being able to connect this way with candidates who like and want to use SMS will differentiate us and strengthen relationships. I also agree with Karen that caution is necessary when contacting people as they may not wish to be contacted in this way.

    I may have more of a "techie" inclination because I've spent the last few years focusing on the high tech industry. In my industry people like email and SMS. Also in Europe and Asia it has taken off quite a bit and is even used more than the "voice" part of the phone. That's why I think this is a cool communication tool. I know folks in other industries may not like it, or may not have the right kind of cell phone or media plan, but like with any other technological advance it can be used both appropriately and innapropriately. The innapropriate use of SMS as a first contact tactic can backfire - unless like Brenda suggests we know in advance people are open to such communication. But the appropriate use of is can make a good, ethical recruiter, stand out among.

    Thanks to Karen and Joel we have been warned about its innapropriate use, in particular with initiating contact. All I want from this blog is to introduce things which advance us and our industry so if you consider its appropriate use then you could also consider this a great positive advance in candidate relationship building.

    So, I say, proceed carefully as this is one technology to keep a watchfull eye on.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    If one leader in the industry..say Monster would add a check box..."Do you want to be text messaged about a job op", the whole industry would catch on. And, it would be a fantastic tool to contact candidates.

    As recruiters, we can talk it up to people and conduct unofficial surveys, by getting feedback from candidates.

    Everyone Have a Great Day! Brenda

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Maybe trackbacks aren't working - I know this "hot thread" has been picked up by several of my blogging peers but I see no trackback.

    Dave?

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    How about we as recruiters, educate the candidates and start a new trend? On some job boards, the candidates have a check box of how they would like to be contacted...stay with me here....if word spreads, as it usually does, job boards can add an extra check box for candidates who don't mind being contacted via text message. Soon, it would become common knowledge for a candidate to add that little bit of information to their resume, the same way email addresses came into play. Just an elementary thought, I can see all points of view in this discussion.

    Brenda Lepick bl934@msn.com

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    If you are focused only on candidate welfare then isn't an opportunity to forward their career in their best interest?

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    In most plans you have to use minutes to check voicemail.

    Recruiting is not spam.

    Not everyone has SMS enabled phones.

    A tool is just a tool. The art is in how it is used, the finesse is in how well its used.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    The cost point is a red herring. Cell phones cost money if you go over plan minutes. How do you know your call isn't the one that will go ten minutes over the limit, costing the candidate $5?

    You don't, but presumably the candidate is OK with it, or they wouldn't have put their cell # on their resume.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Karen, with all due respect, I understand where you are coming from and that there are laws against spam but legitimate recruiting email communication is just not spam.

    This is not a conversation about spam. I am, have always been, and continue to be a big anti-spam campaigner so please don't confuse my comments on effective, acceptable business communication with unsolicited commercial messages. Even if you don't like the Internet or use it very little, you and I are both members of this Electronic Recruiting community which explores new ideas and technologies. In my blog I like to explore and discuss ideas. I don't preach and I don't police. I sincerely appreciate and agree with your call to caution, but there is nothing illegal about communicating with prospective candidates. Your well founded arguments about spam are after all about spam and recruiting is not spam any more than sales is telemarketing.

    You know me well so you know that I too am an old school recruiter. Old school recruiting is about networking but not everyone wants to network all the time so even in our treasured old school there is still rejection no matter what the approach or medium. Recruiters interested in networking do well to remain tool-neutral, using every and all tools that make sense for their particular business. What may not be agreeable or work with one set of candidates may be very welcome and effective with another.

    Steve posted this over on his blog:

    "Cell phone text messaging to potential job seekers is leading edge and costly. But the phenomenal response rates and ability to precisely target this highly sought after, tech savvy, generation is very exciting."

    Thank you Steve, that is exactly what I am passionate about. Exploring new, exciting opportunities!

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Thought you'd appreciate seeing a blog entry about using SMS for recruiting that I posted to the MN Headhunter's blog at http://www.mnheadhunter.com/mh/2006/07/is_cell_phone_t.html .

    Steven Rothberg, President and Founder CollegeRecruiter.com career site http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Dave assured us that trackbacks work, but in case they don't Colin suggests that any contact is good so long as you spell their name right... ok he doesn't really say that :) What he does say, over there on his blog is that sending email to SMS (or texting candidates) could be dangerous to a recruiter's reputation.

    Yes, of course I agree it could be.

    So could sending spam, or UCE, or leaving bad voicemails, or telemarketing, or calling too much, or being rude, or contacting the wrong candidate for a job... or any number of other things recruiters can do to marr their reputation.

    The fact of the matter is SMS is not always going to cost the recepient. It doesn't cost me anything to get them right now as I have a media plan with unlimited SMS. Many people with web enabled phones get those plans. Plans like that will become mainstream and recruiters who use SMS effectively (avoiding the same negative results they avoid by using email and the phone effectively) will have yet another tool in their arsenal to reach candidates.

    We can't ignore technology for fear of using it incorrectly. If we did that then there would be no progress. The trick is to learn to use technology correctly and appropriately and get the most out of it.

    I know this is a controversial subject. After all that is how I started my blog post. There will be people on both sides of the argument. My objective is to raise awareness about this subject not to "take sides" or to encourage recruiters to do something that can hurt their reputation. There's a whole industry out there where this technology has already taken root and I wouldn't be surprised if it takes off in our field as well. If it goes away, then great, no problem there. It will go the way of the fax. But what if it doesn't? Shouldn't we know about it and be prepared, and learn how to use it?

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    My thoughts on the subject posted on my blog (do trackbacks here work?):

    http://www.hrmdirect.com/hrm2/blog/index.php?entry=entry060718-140840

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Many "media plans" for "web enabled" phones come with unlimited SMS so I believe as that grows the price per ping will become a non-issue. In the mean time, its as much a risk as it used to be back when people paid for dialup Internet by the minute. Yes, there was a time when if you were at a hotel you would be paying per minute to connect and get your email! I think in many other countries they still pay per minute, even for broadband. I think that sounds as absurd to us now as the "pay per SMS" will do to us in a few years.

    Oh yeah, and one more thing, we have to pay for the paper and ink or ribbon on the fax machine yet we still keep getting junk faxes.

    I guess my point is, this is a technology that is here to stay and like the article clearly states there is a whole generation of people who prefer texting over calling, or are at least much more comfortable with it. So, as recruiters, what ever the rules are we choose to abide by, we need to learn to apply this technology or we will go the way of the junk faxers still trying to get me to buy a condo in Florida by forcing me to print a page about it every week ;)

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Shally,

    As usual, you make some very good points! I love to text message someone from my computer and usually only do so when they have invited me. Erica also makes a good point...I pay for my sons to be on our family plan and it is not fun to see text charges on the bill each month. Knowing that any of the text messages came from military or athletic recruiters would lead me to block the service....they can call the old fashioned home number....but, on the other hand, knowing that a great corporation had messaged one of them with a job offer would make me happy! So, I guess I sit on both sides of the fence.

    Brenda Lepick bl934@msn.com

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I'm a candidate, and my resume includes my cell phone number. To call me on my cell is free as I have a rather large number of "any time" minutes. Unfortunately, text messages cost me money, even to receive. I think, as a candidate, I'd be a little annoyed to pay for text messages I didn't ask for or initiate.

    (This is the only thing that makes me hesitant to get onboard with the SMS trend...)

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Here's some more thought provoking questions:

    Do the coaches have the athlete's permission? They certainly don't have permission to call them but they are free to email and SMS...

    If a candidate's cell phone number is on their Monster resume does a recruiter who purchased a Monster account have permission to SMS them?

    What if the resume is posted on the candidates home page?

    If you send me an email with your cell phone number in the signature file do I have to contact you first for permission before I call you? What if you handed me your business card at a trade show? What if you gave it to a co-worked of mine and I got it form them?

    If I can call you, why can't I send SMS? What if the card you handed to someone else ended up in JigSaw or Zoominfo or any one of a thousand other vendors who sell leads?

    What would recruiting be like if we had to ask for permission before we called anyone to ask them if they are interested in moving forward with their career? If you can't pursue top talent then how do you make you hiring numbers? How do you ensure a diverse slate of candidates is presented? How do recruiters contact the 120 million candidates who don't use job boards to post their resumes or apply through corporate career pages?

    Just some thoughts...

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Shally,

    This is definitely an issue that recruiters (third party and corporate) are going to need to come to grips with if they are going to be successful in their efforts to recruit Gen Y. As one of the owners of CollegeRecruiter.com, I can assure any of my Gen X brethren or boomer elders (sorry, couldn't help it) that Gen Y considers email to be too slow. Does that mean that recruiters should send text messages to the cell phones (SMS) of Gen Y candidates? Not without permission.

    A great article was recently published by Media Life Magazine on the growing use of SMS to promote products and services. See http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_5998.asp . I feel strongly that most recruiters would be more successful if they thought and acted more like the sales people that they are and should be and less like the administrators that many other people in human resources are and should be. Rather than selling a product or service to a customer, you're selling a career opportunity to a candidate. And for Gen Y, SMS is part of that picture -- if you have their permission.

    Steven Rothberg, President and Founder CollegeRecruiter.com career site http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com